'I dismissed my symptoms as being new contraception - now I might never have children'
A festival lover thought bleeding after sex was caused by her newly fitted coil - but was horrified when it turned out to be stage three cancer. Jasmin McKee had a cervical screening test in February 2024 after months of nervously putting it off.
While at the appointment she decided to have an IUD, also known as the copper coil, inserted into her uterus too. The 26-year-old started experiencing bleeding after sex after but 'brushed it off' as being caused by the newly fitted device.
But Jasmin's 'world stopped moving' when months of testing revealed she had stage three cervical cancer. After starting chemotherapy in April 2025 the financial operations manager set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for rent, bills and food for when she's no longer able to work.
She's now urging women to get cervical screenings, which are offered to women aged 25 to 64 on the NHS, as soon as possible as they 'can save lives'. Jasmin, from Southampton, Hampshire, said: "It's one of those things you never really think will happen to you and then it does.
"I put it [the cervical screening] off for a few months because I was a bit nervous about it. None of my friends had turned 25 so I was the first one to do it but it was quite easy and I also had my coil put in at the same time.
"Before I had the coil fitted I'd had quite heavy periods and bad back pain and would be really tired but I always put it down to hormones and my period. When I had the coil put in I had bleeding after sex.
"The doctors did give me a really long sheet of information of potential side effects but I didn't read it because I didn't think anything about it. At the time I put those symptoms down to the newly fitted coil. No one ever wants to think the worst so that's why I didn't really think anything of it and I just brushed it off."
After the screening revealed some abnormal cells Jasmin had a biopsy and discovered they had a high risk of developing into cancer. Following months of blood tests and scans she was diagnosed with cancer in September 2024 but decided against having a hysterectomy or starting chemotherapy to save her chances of having children one day.
In November 2024 she underwent laser treatment to try to remove the cancer and received her official stage three cervical cancer diagnosis. Jasmin said: "My favourite TV show is Breaking Bad and the main character gets a cancer diagnosis.
"The way they show it is very accurate, it's like the world stops moving a little bit. They're using all these big words and talking at you in a way that's really hard to grasp.
"It's that numb feeling, I don't think I've stopped feeling like that. It's like I'm living in 'the in-between'.
"When I got the biopsy results the doctors gave me a few options and they said because it's not progressed since I had my biopsy I could wait it out or have a full hysterectomy or start chemotherapy.
At the time if one of the options was to be able to wait, why wouldn't I wait? I hadn't decided if I wanted children and I obviously didn't want to not be able to have children."
Jasmin began radiotherapy in February 2025 and had her eggs frozen after the laser treatment failed to remove enough of the cancer. She has now undergone two cycles of chemotherapy since April 2025 and decided to donate her hair to the Little Princess Trust charity along with £2,000 she'd raised.
Jasmin said: "I kept thinking 'I don't want to do chemo because I don't want to lose my hair'. In hindsight hair is just hair and it will grow back. I thought 'if I'm going to lose my hair I might as well do it on my terms and do something good with it'.
"The doctor said it was likely I won't be able to have children naturally and that's the worst outcome for me. I would like to think I'd settle down and want to have children so looking ahead it's that uncertainty of not knowing how that's going to play out.
"I'm someone that goes to a lot of festivals and gigs and I've had to cancel all my festivals this year so that's quite upsetting. The financial burden is worrying.
"Luckily I'm working at the moment but as the treatment goes on I'm not going to be able to work. That's quite worrying of how I'm going to pay for my rent and my bills and basic living situation."
As soon as women turn 25, Jasmin is urging people to go for their cervical screenings done and potentially help save their life. Jasmin said: "I'm grateful I had the cervical screening done. If I hadn't had it done then I probably would've just kept on putting it off.
"They're quite persistent in sending letters and texts and stuff to say you're due for a smear test. You can sit and overthink it and you might read other women's experiences online but it's so easy to do. It's literally 10 to 15 minutes of your time and it can save your life."
You can donate to Jasmin's GoFundMe page here
What is cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is cancer found anywhere in the cervix, which is the opening between the vagina and the womb, and is most common in women aged 30 to 35. According to Cancer Research UK there are around 3,300 new cases in the country every year.
While most survive there are about 850 deaths from the disease every year. Early treatment makes it more likely that you will survive so it is vital to be able to spot the symptoms which can include:
Cervical screening is offered to anyone with a cervix aged 25 to 64. It aims to identify and treat changes to cells before they turn cancerous.
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